Allergies Overview

Advanced solutions to help you breathe easier.

How do I know if I have allergies?

When allergies and sinus problems control your life, you can feel miserable.

Thankfully, Dr. Shipman can help. He puts his board-certified experience to work for you with state-of-the-art sinus and allergy care to help get you back to your active lifestyle. This first step is determining if allergies may be inhibiting your enjoyment of your life. Shipman ENT incorporates either a Multi Skin Testing or the RAST Blood Test protocol to determine if you are allergic and to what you may be allergic.

NON-ALLERGIC RHINITIS

What is Non-Allergic Rhinitis?

Non-Allergic Rhinitis symptoms are very similar to those of Allergic Rhinitis, but a diagnosis of Non-Allergic Rhinitis is made after allergies are ruled out as the cause. This condition can affect all ages, but is more common in adults.

Triggers:

Odors or irritants in the air

Changes in the weather

Some medications

Certain foods

Chronic health conditions

ALLERGIC RHINITIS

What is Allergic Rhinitis?

Allergic Rhinitis occurs when your immune system overreacts to particles in the air that you breathe. Your immune system attacks the particles in your body, causing symptoms such as sneezing and a runny nose.

Triggers:

Weeds

Dust

Epidermal

Food

Grass

House Dust

Mold

Trees

Allergens

DIAGNOSIS

Multi-Skin testing - done by placing a drop of a solution containing a possible allergen on the skin, and a series of scratches or pricks allows the solution to enter the skin.

RAST blood test - a blood sample is taken to measure your immune system's response to common allergens by measuring the amount of certain antibodies in your blood- stream, known as immunoglobulin E (lgE).